A 25 Year Look Across the Spectrum with Kelly Bermingham & Jen Lucero

Season 3 of our podcast is starting! In this episode, Kelly, BCBA, and Jen, mom to Dylan & Ethan discuss a previous from season 2 titled, "Transition into Adulthood or Falling Off a Cliff. Dylan graduated from his transition program in December 2022, during the pandemic. Covid and staffing shortages have been a crisis for those seeking services for their children and adults on the autism spectrum. Day programs have not admitted new clients, and some programs are closing due to a lack of adequate staffing. Kelly and Jen discuss the current options and how Dylan is doing now.  

Day Program Closures Forcing Some Parents To Quit Jobs - Disability Scoop

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Kelly & Jen speak with Jennifer's son, Ethan, age 20, who shares his perspective on what age to talk to children about their sibling's autism, how volunteering in the autism community while also having his own activities made him the man he is today, and how he began to choose the people he surrounds himself with others that acknowledge his brother as a person. He shared his childhood and advice to others raising or working with those on the autism spectrum.  We are proudly sponsored by Cite Pro. www.citepro.com

Kelly & Jen chat with long-time friend Izzy Paskowitz about Surfer's Healing, an original surf camp for children and families living with autism, and how that one perfect day in the water surfing can be exactly what that child and family needed.  Founded in 1996, and a huge part of Jen, Dylan, and Ethan's life, the surf team is ready to get back to it this summer. You can find more about them here: Home | Surfers Healing

This last year saw major changes in the field of ABA and other fields supporting children and adults with autism. Employers struggled to support team members remotely. People had major events happen in their lives after a year+ of pandemic life and many walked out and quit. Left behind are the families. Kelly and Jen talk about how difficult this has been as an employer and as families living with autism. On a positive note, Dylan and many others learned how to accept changes more smoothly!  What are you doing to adjust to this?

April started as Autism Awareness Month. It has now become a decisive month with groups split and arguing about what the month and message should mean. We believe in awareness, acceptance and action. Kelly & Jen talk with the Vice President of National Council on Severe Autism and published author Amy Lutz, and her amazing daughter Erika Lutz who bring a refreshing take on the arguing. Erika, brother to Jonah living with profound autism comments, "There is room for #actuallyautistic people, family members and caregivers in the movement." Find out more about NCSA here: National Council on Severe Autism (ncsautism.org) and find Amy's book here: We Walk: Life with Severe Autism (The Culture and Politics of Health Care Work): Lutz, Amy S. F.: 9781501751394: Amazon.com: Books

Kelly & Jen talk about the risks and change they have done to move their children forward in life. Kelly describes the steps she and her husband took to take the risk of having their daughter move out on her own. The same type of steps applied to Jen trying to buy a new bed and furniture for Dylan. These risks are hard. Change is hard. It is the path forward. 

Jen & I talk about the process, and Dylan's experience of graduating high school with a certificate, entering a high school transition program until he was 22, graduating to an adult day program, oh wait. No, he didn't.  Covid partly to blame, but the system failed him, and as of right now he is home, bored, sad and starting to regress. We won't take this- but this could happen to you!  Listen to our story. 

Kelly speaks with Kristine Rodriguez, Chief Clinical Officer at Autism Learning Partners, and Co-lead of the CASP Client Outcomes SIG, breaking down the concepts of evidenced-based treatment and the importance of individual analysis before applying strategies in intervention.

Slocum, T. A., Detrich, R., Wilczynski, S. M., Spencer, T. D., Lewis, T., & Wolfe, K. (2014). The Evidence-Based Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. The Behavior analyst, 37(1), 41–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-014-0005-2

Lechago, S. A., & Carr, J. E. (2008). Recommendations for reporting independent variables in outcome studies of early and intensive behavioral intervention for autism. Behavior modification, 32(4), 489–503. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445507309034

Geiger, K. B., Carr, J. E., & Leblanc, L. A. (2010). Function-based treatments for escape-maintained problem behavior: a treatment-selection model for practicing behavior analysts. Behavior analysis in practice, 3(1), 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391755

Grow, L. L., Carr, J., & LeBlanc, L. (2009). Treatments for attention-maintained problem behavior: empirical support and clinical recommendations. Journal of Evidence-based Practices for Schools, Vol. (10), 70-92

Tiger, J. H., Hanley, G. P., & Bruzek, J. (2008). Functional communication training: a review and practical guide. Behavior analysis in practice, 1(1), 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391716

Ferraioli, S., Hughes, C., & Smith, T. (2005). A model for problem solving in discrete trial training for children with autism. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 2(4), 224-246. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0100316

Brodhead, M. T., Quigley, S. P., & Wilczynski, S. M. (2018). A Call for Discussion About Scope of Competence in Behavior Analysis. Behavior analysis in practice, 11(4), 424–435. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00303-8

Behavior therapists are the backbone of ABA services for children and adults. While certifications such as the RBT certification help as a starting point for quality care, what are the "soft skills" that make a really good behavior therapist. Kelly gets Jen's perspective, as a parent, on what a parent is looking for in therapists coming into their home. 

Kelly & Jen talk through the real challenges and real solutions to support children with autism to brush their teeth and prepare and go to the dentist. Kelly shares information from the study she participated in on how to use analytic strategies to teach these specific skills.  Access to Dental Visits and Correlates of Preventive Dental Care in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Request PDF (researchgate.net) 

Try this kit to practice and prepare for the dentist!  Brush and Bite Starter Kit – Triple Bristle